We must build an AX (AI transformation) ecosystem where countless startups take on AI businesses, compete fiercely, and grow through failure.
Korea Startup Forum (KOSPO) held the "AXIS 2026 Summit" on the 11th at C-Square in Gangnam, Seoul.
AXIS is short for "AX (AI transformation) is here," meaning the axis of AX should shift from the government and institutions to startups and industry sites.
About 100 people, including officials from the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Ministry of Science and ICT and founders of AI startups, attended the summit. Participants assessed the current state of Korea's AI industry and explored directions for the domestic AX ecosystem amid global AI competition.
Kim Jae-won, chair of KOSPO, said in the opening keynote that global AI competition has emerged as the core of national competitiveness. Kim said, "The United States is reshaping industry and security through AI, China is changing its national structure with AI, and the Middle East is betting the next 100 years on AI."
Kim added, "Korea has also set out to become a top-three AI power with a focus on computing infrastructure, data, and talent development," and emphasized, "To achieve this goal, startups that relentlessly take on new possibilities must become the key actors capable of executing Korea's AX."
Kim also said, "Korea's AX will be completed on an ecosystem where AI startups can grow in a market that allows continual challenges," adding, "We must build a virtuous cycle in which startups create new industries and that success, in turn, fosters the next generation of founders."
Mok Seung-hwan, director general for Startup and Venture Innovation at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, and Lee Jin-su, director general for AI Policy Planning at the Ministry of Science and ICT, introduced government policies to foster and support AI startups in their welcome remarks.
The summit consisted of three sessions. In the first "AI ecosystem" session, Park Young-sun, head of the Sogang Mentoring Center "Window of Thought" at Sogang University and former Minister of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS), Ryu Joong-hee, CEO of Realworld, Lee Hae-min, lawmaker of the Rebuilding Korea Party, and Lee Han-bin, CEO of Seoul Robotics, discussed ways to nurture national champion AI corporations and strengthen the competitiveness of the startup ecosystem.
Center head Park Young-sun cited a recent visit to Korea by Jensen Huang, Nvidia's CEO, and stressed the importance of building a sovereign AI ecosystem. Park said, "It is necessary for Korean corporations to cooperate with Nvidia, but if the AI ecosystem becomes dependent on Nvidia, Korea could fall behind in the AI race."
Park continued, "The government is doing well to build a Korea-style AI ecosystem through a sovereign AI strategy, but there are still shortcomings," adding, "Startups should also be supported so they can build competitiveness within a sovereign AI ecosystem."
Lawmaker Lee Hae-min agreed with Park's concerns but emphasized the need for a multifaceted cooperation strategy with global corporations. Lee said, "It is important to secure AI infrastructure by collaborating with various global corporations, including Nvidia and Anthropic, and to create a structure in which Korean startups can compete across multiple global infrastructure environments."
The second "AI transformation" session, chaired by Lim Jung-wook, head of Startup Alliance, featured Bang Geul-ah, head of external relations at BonAI, Han Ji-hyung, CEO of Autonomous A2Z, and Seo Young-gyu, chief information security officer (CISO) at Elice, who discussed AI transformation strategies in the public institutional sector and on industrial sites.
In the third "global AI" session, Son Jae-kwon, CEO of The Miilk, Lee Kyung-hoon, chief AI officer (CAIO) at Channel Corporation, and Oh Hye-yeon, professor at KAIST, presented strategies for entering global markets and securing Korea-style AI competitiveness.
At the end of the event, a networking program was arranged for participants to mingle freely. KOSPO plans to use this summit as a starting point to continue building a startup-led AX ecosystem and advancing policy discussions.